Why is there no discount input on Checkout when a gift is in the cart? (Dr Free Gift, BOGO Buy X Get Y Shopify App)
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Why Is There No Discount Input on Checkout When a Gift Is in the Cart?
When using Dr Free Gift, BOGO Buy X Get Y app’s gift features with Draft Orders enabled, you may notice that the discount input field disappears from the checkout page. This article explains why this happens and how to handle discount codes while maintaining gift functionality.
Understanding the Behavior
Why Does This Happen?
When a customer has a gift in their cart and clicks the Checkout button, our app creates a Draft Order in Shopify. This is an intentional security measure that:
- Prevents manipulation of cart values that could invalidate gift qualification
- Maintains the integrity of your gift promotions
- Ensures gifts are only received by qualifying customers
As a side effect of using Draft Orders, Shopify automatically hides the discount input field on the checkout page.
Available Order Handling Options
Draft Orders (Recommended)
Using Draft Orders provides the highest level of security for your gift promotions by:
- Creating a special type of order that prevents checkout manipulation
- Making it nearly impossible to create fraudulent orders containing only gifts
- Ensuring orders can only be completed with the correct ratio of purchased items to gifts
Normal Orders
You can switch to normal orders in the app’s General Settings if you prefer to maintain the standard checkout experience. However, this option:
- Keeps the discount field visible during checkout
- Provides less protection against potential gift-related fraud
- May require additional monitoring of orders
- Could be vulnerable to technical exploitation
Working with Discounts
How Can I Still Offer Discounts with Draft Orders?
To enable discount code functionality while maintaining secure gift features, we recommend using our companion app “Dr Stacked Discounts on Cart.” This solution allows you to:
- Apply standard Shopify discount codes before checkout
- Stack multiple discount codes (if configured)
- Maintain visibility of applied discounts on the checkout page
- Preserve gift qualification rules
Implementation Steps
- Enable Draft Orders in our gift app’s Settings page
- Install “Dr Stacked Discounts on Cart” app
- Configure your discount rules
- Test the checkout flow with both gifts and discounts
Conclusion
The missing discount input on checkout is a security feature when using Draft Orders, not a limitation. While you can choose between Draft Orders and Normal Orders based on your security needs, the recommended approach is to use Draft Orders in combination with a dedicated discount solution. This ensures both the integrity of your gift promotions and the flexibility to offer discounts to your customers. Whichever approach you choose, regular monitoring of orders and thorough testing of your gift-discount combinations will help maintain a smooth shopping experience for your customers.